


the unmarked path

by farewelltheten



Category: Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Post-Game(s), Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-02-15 20:25:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2242377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/farewelltheten/pseuds/farewelltheten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After everything, neither of them figured domestic life and kids would be normal either. But no one can prepare for a storm they're not even expecting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. trust

**Author's Note:**

> yeeeahhh first legit fic ever
> 
> okay so originally this was just gonna be a quick drabble but then my mind kicked onto overdrive and this ended up three times as long than what I was planning originally and now I'm wriTING A BUNCH MORE CHAPTERS
> 
> so, uh, enjoy?
> 
> edit: I wrote this before any announcements for Mankind Divided came out, so to avoid having to rewrite mostly everything, this fic basically treats Human Revolution as if it didn't have a sequel.  
> as of 10/10/15, the summary was changed to be a little more informative than the original quote. I'll be back writing the last few chapters soon!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What if I'm not cut out for being a father?"  
> "Don't say that. Don't you dare."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so the original idea behind this chapter was just kinda wanting something where Adam was more emotional than just mild concern and/or anger, plus c'mon who doesn't wanna see nervous-dad-to-be Adam?

Malik woke alone to a cold bed. She sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly and looking around the room. The pilot had never really noticed how much space Adam left behind until now.

This pregnancy thing was really messing her up. She couldn't sleep, yet woke up at odd hours. Add that to the morning sickness that definitely wasn't just confined to mornings and the most ridiculous cravings and mood swings; she was surprised Adam was even able to deal with her, much less keep up with her.

But that was how being married and expecting a kid worked. Probably.

Slowly, she swung her legs around and off the bed, standing carefully so she didn't overbalance herself. Another night of nursing a glass of water for an hour or so before she could try to attempt to fall asleep again. Dreaded routine.

Adam was usually asleep next to her - but not tonight. Sarif had kept him to help plan some sort of event, and of course, after everything, security presence would be even tighter than ever, especially with the level of paranoia her boss had developed following the train wreck of events that had culminated into the Panchaea incident. This was the reason why Adam hadn't been home yet, she hoped, and not because he'd been caught up in some conspiracy, or, God forbid, been hurt at Sarif Industries. Both the former and the latter were pretty unlikely, the latter especially since she would've heard about it by now - but she'd come to expect the unexpected, particularly because both had happened within at least six months of each other.

There was a light _tink_ of glass against a table as she made her way to the living room. That was probably him. From the sound of it, he'd just gotten home. Good - she'd have someone to chat with for that hour.

But as she neared the room - no, it actually looked like he'd been there for a while. His coat was draped over the back of the couch, and the interface for all the automated stuff in the apartment was dark - he'd definitely been home for at least 15 minutes, if not more.

Adam was sitting on the couch, back facing her. She watched him pick up a glass - of water, thankfully, knowing he wasn't quite drinking his troubles away like he used to - and bring it halfway to his lips before setting it down again, sighing and putting his hands over his face.

"Adam," She said softly, not wanting to startle him, "are you alright? How long've you been back?"

He jolted upright, glancing just over his shoulder. "...I'm fine," He said, after a moment's hesitation, "not too long. Didn't wanna wake you up."

Something was seriously wrong. Maybe it was the tone of his voice, or maybe just intuition. She walked to the front of the couch, sitting and cupping his face in her hands. "You're not fine."

He was trying his best to hide his expression, but little details gave it away - a subtle crease in his brow and a slightly more pronounced grimace. Not too different from his normal expression, but by now she could tell. She wasn't sure how long he'd really been here, but she hoped he hadn't been alone with his thoughts for too long. She pressed her forehead against his own, giving him a reassuring smile.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. He stayed there for a moment too long for it to be just a normal, passive hug. The fact that he was (a little less than obviously) upset pushed it even further.

Malik had never seen him like this before - probably to keep up that damn macho vigilante justice image everyone seemed to have of him. But also because he'd never been too lost before. Sure, he'd been at death's door and back, and given augmentations that, frankly, he had no need or want for, but he'd always had a reason for keeping his emotions centered towards anger and guilt and vengeance.

But never sadness. What kind of head of security loses it whenever someone or something was harmed? Yes, Megan probably counted, but that more or less fell into vengeance, and then anger following Panchaea. And quite frankly, she'd never seen him this...alone.

Adam pulled away, hands lingering for a moment at her waist before breaking away. "What did the doctor say?" He said quietly, eyes flickering towards the bump she'd been carrying for a few months now.

Instinctively, she put a hand to it, a spark of excitement lighting. He hadn't been there with her - and though she resented Sarif a little bit for pulling her husband away when she was supposed to have her first ultrasound (in Sarif's defense, he did send a rather long apology email, along with an even longer phone call, though she still didn't appreciate it), at least this would cheer him up.

"...There's three of them."

He blinked, then his eyes widened, leaning back as he processed the information completely. "I...three?"

"Triplets. They're not sure if they're identical, but for sure there's three."

Suddenly he looked away, closing his eyes, resting one of his hands on her own. Instantly, she was worried. This was the exact opposite of the reaction she expected.

And then, finally:

"What if I'm not cut out for being a father, Faridah?"

No. No, this was not what he was thinking about this entire time. She hoped it wasn't what he'd been thinking the whole time. No wonder he'd been so upset. With the mess his parentage was and how he'd found out about it, he had a reason to be concerned.

"Don't say that." She said sharply, moving him back to face her, though gently. "Don't you dare. You are going to be a terrific father, Adam. What are you worrying about?"

"What if I hurt them?" His voice raised slightly in alarm, fists clenching of their own accord.

"You haven't hurt me. You saved me. You're the only reason I'm right here, right now, talking to you about our kids." She pressed her lips against his forehead, feeling him give a shaky sigh at the movement. "I trust you. And so will they. That's what makes the difference."

He didn't respond, just stared at her, jaw tightening briefly. She stroked his hair gently, like she usually did when he woke from the fleeting nightmares he still had. Inwardly, she hoped the movement was still as reassuring here as it was in those situations.

This was one of the things he couldn't punch his way through - his self-doubt and ambivalence when it came to just the hopefully mostly normal, domestic life that they'd committed to. But she damn sure knew that this was one thing he could handle.

"...Come to bed, Spy Boy. It's cold without you there."

"...Alright."


	2. reassurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I worry about you."  
> "...I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for lack of updates!  
> school makes it hard to write extended chapters
> 
> this is a little shorter than usual but y'know have some fluff to brace for the next chapter
> 
> also Malik wearing Adam's sweaters is my most favorite thing ever o uo

"You're usually not out here."

Malik glanced over her shoulder to see Adam leaning against the doorway to the balcony, a rare smile on his face. She watched him pull up a chair next to her, its metal legs scraping against the concrete floor, and stoop to press a kiss to her forehead before sitting down. He stretched his legs out in front of him, giving a sigh and a curious glance towards the rather familiar black turtleneck that she was wearing. 

"Is that mine?"

"Maybe." Malik teased, and then, sheepishly, "Yeah, it is. But it's cold, so I have an excuse to wear it, right?"

"Do you need one?"

Did she? They were married, and so she probably was rightly entitled to wear whatever she wanted from his closet - and vice versa, though she doubted the latter would ever happen. The thought brought a small smile to Malik's face as she took a sip from the cup of tea she held. In hindsight, holding the mug would've probably been easier had she rolled the sleeves of the sweater up, but at the same time it meant exposing her hands to the cold Detroit night air.

"That the sleepy tea Pritchard gave to you?"

"Yup. Did you see the note he stuck to it?"

Adam scoffed, putting a hand over his eyes. "'Jensen complains to me almost daily,'" He drawled, in the most terrible British accent, "'that you can't sleep, so here.'"

Malik tried to stifle her laughter with a hand, but ultimately failed, trying to balance her cup on her knee, the mug teetering dangerously in her grip. Adam grabbed the cup before its contents could slosh over the sides, setting it down on the armrest of his own chair. Almost cautiously, he rested his hand on hers, looking worried.

"You're doing okay by yourself when I'm not here, right? Sarif's been stealing me away from you more often than I'd like for that damn augmentation showcase he's planning."

"Well, I've got a company of three whether I like it or not." She patted her stomach jokingly, bump clearly visible underneath the sweater.

Adam straightened up, looking seriously at her. "Are _you_ alright, though?"

She shrugged, sinking low in her chair. "I dunno, I'm just...bored, I guess. I kinda wish Sarif didn't put me on maternity leave so early, but at the same time I'd rather not be flying the VTOL while nauseated. Speaking of which- how's the replacement guy's flying?"

She looked at him expectantly, and he gave a smirk and a shrug. "It's hard to compare another pilot to you. But I'll admit that the takeoff isn't as smooth as yours."

"Damn right it isn't." Malik nodded almost approvingly, and Adam gave a short chuckle, amused.

"But I _do_ miss you a little, Spy Boy." She admitted finally, looking down at her hands. "Sarif won't be keeping you for too long. That showcase is pretty soon, isn't it?"

"...It's tomorrow." He said matter-of-factly, and Malik nodded.

"Yeah. ...Are you scared?"

"...Are you?"

She looked away, staying silent for a while, trying to think of the best way to word her response.

"I worry about you."

"...I know."

She feared the most that this would be a repeat of the first incident at Sarif Industries - that she'd have to watch him carried out of the remains of a burning lab again, covered in his own blood and damaged beyond any conventional repair. Back then she'd only been watching as a friend, and she'd barely been able to keep her composure. Now, she wasn't sure what she'd do if the same happened.

"Stay safe for me, Adam. Just promise me that."

"I can't guarantee it," He said truthfully, leaning his head against her shoulder, "but for you, I'll try to stay out of trouble."

Malik laughed quietly, ruffling his hair with her free hand. "Good. I bet tomorrow we'll be laughing about how dumb we were, worrying about this."

"Don't think too much about tomorrow, Faridah. For now," Adam reached over and passed her mug back to her, "might wanna finish this before it gets cold."

She took the cup back, smiling over the rim as she held it.

"Okay. It's gonna be fine."


	3. edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm right here. I won't leave...I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys thought you were only getting one update this week  
> WELL YOU WERE WRONG
> 
> GET READY IT'S AN ADAM POV CHAPTER  
> a bit more challenging seeing as I've written as Malik more often than not, but here we go!
> 
> and maybe keep a tissue box handy.  
> or two.

Waking up from a deep sleep was like floating upwards in water, slowly coming to the surface and taking that first, sudden breath of air.

Except this water was muddled and foggy, dragging and grasping at him, trying to pull him back under - but he needed to _breathe_ , before he drowned in this sleep, without so much as breaking the surface of the water. Somehow he managed to claw his way through the ethereal haze, blurred vision revealing a room that was too clean and white for his liking. The only source of light came from a lamp in the far corner to his left.

Gradually, he became aware of the beeping of monitors, the sound of oxygen forcing its way through the mask on his face.

Who was he, anyhow? The question almost made him angry, feeling his eyebrows knit together as if they weren't actually a part of his body.

Oh, right.

He was Adam Jensen. But what the hell had happened to him? The last thing he remembered was getting thrown through that glass pane, and getting shot-

- _shit_ , he'd been shot. What had happened to Megan and the other scientists? And the lab?

He could hear someone crying - he hadn't noticed at first because the sound of the machines had blocked it out. Just barely, he managed to turn his head slightly, realizing for the first time that he was in a neck brace.

 _Damn,_ He felt uncomfortably numb, though some alarm managed to squeeze past the fog over his mind, _how badly did I..._ He couldn't even finish the thought, suddenly unwilling to know his own condition.

He recognized the girl next to him. Of all people...why was she here?

"Malik...?"

His mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and his voice was a weak croak, as if he hadn't spoken in weeks.

She looked up at him, alarmed. Why was she looking at him like that? And he was fairly certain she hadn't been pregnant the last time he saw her-

Oh, God. It was rushing back to him now: the Tyrants' attack on Sarif Industries had been more than a year ago - and Malik wasn't _just_ Malik anymore, she was his wife and...and she was carrying his kids.

"Adam?" She stood, smoothing hair away from his forehead.

His tongue could barely form words, and so all he could do was quietly groan his confirmation at first. "What...happened...?"

She looked alarmed again, fingers brushing lightly against his temple before lifting away as she sat and took his hand in hers. He tried to make his arm respond, but all he could manage was a slight twitch of his fingers.

"You can't remember?" Malik said, squeezing his hand gently.

Adam squinted at the ceiling. His head hurt. Everything was fuzzy in his memory. "...Not...really."

He could remember the showcase itself - Sarif's welcome speech, then gunshots, grabbing an assault rifle from a guard. He'd been barking orders and halfway through getting Sarif off the damn stage when a grenade had landed at his feet. Adam had shoved Sarif completely off the stage, trying to kick the grenade to the far side of the stage, but the moment his foot connected with it-

Blinding light. Screaming. More gunshots. Pain. And then just darkness.

"Did anyone...?" He couldn't finish the sentence - whether from fear or just because words were difficult at the moment, he wasn't sure.

"They...no. No, no one died. Just a few injuries." She hesitated. "It's okay. We're all fine."

Shame briefly cut through the haze before it flooded back. Not only had he failed his job again - people had still been hurt, and so he counted it as a failure - but he'd failed Malik. He'd promised to come back unhurt, yet here he was in a hospital, barely able to talk, much less move.

"...Broke that...promise..." He muttered quietly, as if he didn't want to admit it.

Malik gave a sad little smile and a quiet laugh. "I really expected otherwise."

"I...couldn't...I'm sorry..."

He could feel the fog over his mind starting to strengthen, threatening to drown him again.

"Adam-" Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she squeezed his hand again, trying to bring him back, "-no, don't- please, don't. Stay awake."

He pulled himself back to the surface, just barely. "...Is it...bad...?"

"They didn't know if you would wake up afterwards. I thought..." She trailed off, unable to continue.

"Fly Girl." The words rode out on a tired breath.

She looked up at him, wiping tears from her face.

Dread welled up in the pit of his stomach. For some reason he felt as if something terrible would happen if she left now, that he'd duck under the the fog again and never come back up.

"S-stay...here...with me."

"I'm right here. I won't leave...I promise."

She was his anchor. And he'd be damned if he let her down.


	4. labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't worry about me. I handled this before."  
> "You did that alone. You don't have to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow I literally can't ever update on a regular basis I'm sorry guys
> 
> this chapter was incredibly hard to write  
> it took me forever to psyche myself up to start breaking the ship ~~I MEAN WHAT~~  
>  also school sucks, as always
> 
> this will get happier  
> eventually  
>  _but not any time soon_

"The fact that you're still here is probably short of a miracle."

Adam didn't bother responding other than shifting his gaze around the room. He'd been told this a few times already after he'd woken up and finally starting staying awake for more than a few minutes. The past few weeks had been a roller coaster - not that he remembered much, having been weaving in and out of consciousness for most of that time. 

The doctor in charge of him was only slightly older than himself, and surprisingly level headed for his age. Considering his profession, he probably needed to be. This was the first time they'd met, seeing as every other time he'd been out cold.

"Remind me what I came in with, doc?" He said passively, as if every nurse he'd asked hadn't completely changed the subject each time.

"Uh, let's see," The doctor flipped through his charts, Adam's noticeably thicker than the others, "a bruised sternum, a bullet wound to the chest, and a laceration to the neck, also due to a bullet."

"And...?"

"You're more informed than you make yourself out to be, Mr. Jensen." The doctor gave him a wry smile, flipping to another section of his chart.

"I like to know if people are telling me the truth." _Which they haven't,_ He thought somewhat irritably, but didn't allow it to show on his face.

"That's a good thing."

The doctor flipped through the chart, reaching a section of gray-ish colored paper, "Alright, these are LIMB clinic reports. The grenade that hit you fried your systems. Says here they had to force a total shut down and reboot of your augments to get them working again. Normally this isn't a problem, but over 50% of your body is augmented, including the life support systems. I won't lie - it might take a while for them to get used to your movements again."

Adam's mouth suddenly felt extremely dry. "So it's like...like I just got my augments all over again?" He croaked, the corners of his mouth dipping into a frown.

"Yes." The doctor flipped his chart closed. "But you're a tough person, Mr. Jensen. If you went through that once, you can sure as hell make it again." He gave what he probably thought was a reassuring smile, and walked out of the room.

Adam felt like throwing something against the wall. He already wasn't expecting the best news, but he hadn't been prepared for this. He'd hoped his arms not working properly and not being able to feel his legs were just something a LIMB clinic could fix at some point. 

Inwardly, he'd known it felt too familiar for it to be anything else.

A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts, but he didn't answer to it, certain it was another nurse.

Instead, Malik poked her head into the room, and Adam couldn't help but smile as her expression brightened when she realized he was awake. She nearly ran over to him - or, at least, walked as fast as her growing belly allowed her to.

"Hey," She sounded breathless as she ducked to kiss him, pressing her forehead against his and lingering there for a while.

"Something the matter? I saw the doctor walk out earlier."

"It was about this." He raised one of his arms from the bed slightly, willing it forward like he was trying to grab something. His arm stalled for a moment, then shot forward with enough force to shatter a rib, had someone been standing in front of him.

Malik bit her lip, brow furrowing in worry. "Can LIMB fix it?"

Adam lowered his arm back down carefully, trying not to move too fast. "It's because of the reboot. I'm basically back to what happened a year ago."

"Oh," She said quietly, and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest as he heard her voice shake.

"Don't worry about me. I handled this before."

"You did that alone. You don't have to."

Malik leaned against his arm and squeezed his hand gently, and it took nearly all of his willpower to stop himself from doing the same, for fear of crushing her hand.

He'd thought he was a danger to her before - the mercenaries, the conspiracies, people that were still bitter towards Sarif Industries because of what had happened. But now the biggest threat to her was...was himself.

 _What if I hurt her? What if I..._ He swallowed past the lump in his throat, forcing himself to think, _what if I hurt my kids...?_

The thought had always been in the back of his mind, but now it was completely at the forefront. He knew how much damage he could do, and now that he barely had control over his own movements, he could do even more.

_It took six months last time, and Faridah's almost at four months..._

That gave him one less month to attempt to function normally, if he could even manage the six month mark like he had before. 

_It's too risky. And I can't..._ He turned his head to look at Malik, _...I won't push my luck._

_I have to do this alone._


	5. parting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You can't keep me out forever, Jensen."  
> "I can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man okay that was a long frickin hiatus I took I'm so sorry  
> college is pain  
> summer officially starts for me in two weeks though so yoU BETCHA I'M GONNA UPDATE THIS
> 
> anyhow HAVE SOME SHIP SINKING  
> (it gets better I promise)

She noticed the change gradually, but it wasn't like she hadn't been aware. She'd just been to afraid to admit it to herself.

Malik had made it a goal to visit Adam at the hospital daily. She held family closest to her, especially now that he was stuck in a bed until God knows when - however long it would take him to get up and running like he'd been before. She could see him holding back, keeping himself from even touching her for fear of breaking her, or maybe even disgust for himself for letting him become this way again. He was unreadable aside from the subtle creases of his brow that told her that he'd nearly broken whatever rules he'd set for himself in his mind.

He kept pulling farther and farther away. Gradually, her visits became centered on nothing but the silence between them. And it scared her, because she'd never seen him this way before.

A month somehow flew by like nothing, and yet to her it felt like a thousand years.

She missed him. Everything at their apartment was too big now - they'd been designed to fit two. He'd been gone for so long that she was starting to get used to how cold it felt. The only thing that reassured her that anything at all was working was Adam's rehabilitation. He could walk now - just barely, with a lot of support. But by then they were so far apart that something between them finally snapped.

She couldn't place the blame on him. She couldn't even place it on herself. It was no one's fault, and that made it all the worse.

The end came late one night, she'd found door to his room firmly closed when she came to visit. Something told not to open it, a horrible sinking feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Malik pressed her ear to the door instead, somewhat relieved to hear the regular sound of the monitors in the room. She knocked - two times in quick succession - and waited for a response.

"...Faridah?" came his muffled response.

"Yeah. Can I come in?"

His answer was a silence long enough to be nothing but a refusal.

"Adam, please."

"I can't."

She could feel tears stinging her eyes, and though she knew he'd never shut her out unless there was a good reason, she was still furious at him. She'd been here the entire time, and yet-

"You can't keep me out forever, Jensen."

"I can."

It was a definite statement. Unretractable. Every part of her knew it. He could live his whole life in a tight little bubble - not happy, but safe. He almost did. But he decided to take his chances with her. And now...

Now she was no longer the exception to that.

"Just...go, Malik."

Outside, she hesitated at the door for a second, knowing something had shattered, the pieces of it cold and jagged. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, every beat more painful than the last.

That was it, then.

That was the end.

She walked away, casting one last glance before she disappeared down the corridor.

Inside, he watched her silhouette glide past the curtained window, held his breath until he was sure she was finally gone. He finally let out the breath as a yell of frustration, burying his head in his hands, the room falling back to an eerie quiet aside from the ever-present sound of the monitors he was still hooked up to. He'd broken them, for what had seemed like the good of both of them.

The reason didn't matter. It still hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AIN'T LEAVIN YOU GUYS WITH A CLIFFHANGER AGAIN  
> GIMME TWO WEEKS I PROMISE


	6. ambivalence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "...So what now? You're just going to leave them?"  
> "I don't...how am I supposed to make the right choice?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember back in chapter 2 when you thought the pritchard tag was only there because he got mentioned once and never again?  
> WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG  
> chapter 6 aka let dr. pritchard insult your marriage troubles away  
> that sarif tag _is_ a mention only tag though, sadly.
> 
> anyhow, probably gonna finally finish this fic now that I'm on summer break!  
> stay tuned kids, I'll fix this relationship eventually.

"Mr. Jensen, you have a visitor."

For a moment, Adam's heart leapt into his throat, thinking that Malik had come back, even after what he'd said weeks ago. He felt pathetic, hanging onto the hope that she was still there for him, even though he'd been the one who sent her away in the first place. His mouth dropped into an automatic scowl when Pritchard walked in, who waited carefully for the nurse to close the door after him before launching immediately into an insult.

"You're a damn idiot, you know that?"

"Oh, yeah? And you're gonna tell me why, aren't you?" Adam snapped, aware of the tension already filling the room.

"What the _hell_ are you thinking," Pritchard bristled, waving away Adam's question, "just leaving Malik like that? Of all people, I expected you to be the last person to leave his pregnant wife without any concern for her at all."

"Why should you care? The only times you've ever been interested in my relationships was to insult them."

"I have my reasons. ...Mostly because I-" Pritchard stammered, snark suddenly giving way to nervousness, "I, er, may have made Malik cry-"

"You _what?_ " Adam rumbled, sitting up straight and looking about ready to tackle him.

"It- I didn't mean to! Listen, she came to my office to visit and it was just small talk, and I may have mentioned why she wasn't looking after you as always, and she just...lost it. I knew if you found out indirectly you'd do something like murder me in my sleep, so I came here and-"

"This _isn't_ helping your case." Adam growled through clenched teeth, still tensed.

"Okay, the point is- after that, she told me all of what happened. That's- that's the reason why I'm here. Malik is my friend, and...I don't want to see her so hurt. Jensen, you can't fix anything by making a bigger hole in it. Look at yourself - you obviously still care about her."

"No, _you_ look at me. There's no way I can be around her without hurting her. The first time this happened, I couldn't-"

"That is the _stupidest_ reason I've ever heard! For God's sake, she's your wife. And I suppose she told you right at the beginning that you didn't have to go through this alone."

"She did-"

"Then. Take. Her. Word. For. It."

"But I-"

"How many excuses are you going to m-"

"Pritchard, what if I hurt them?" He finally yelled, hearing his voice crack from the strain, "Now more than ever - someone once told me that I was a ghost. Everyone I touch dies. And I can't- I can't...do that to them."

Pritchard was quiet for a moment, brow furrowing. "...So what now? You're just going to leave them?"

"I don't...how am I supposed to make the right choice?"

"There is no right or wrong choice. One decision will never instantly make things better, you should know that. But the path of what you've chosen right now...is this really how you want your kids to know you? As the father that left before they were even born?"

"I..." He felt ashamed. And of all people, Pritchard was the one telling him this. "No. I don't. But- Jesus Christ, Pritchard, how the hell is she ever gonna forgive me? I told her to leave."

"Find that out for yourself. Because she'll be here tomorrow." Pritchard said, raising an eyebrow as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell on Adam.

"What?" Adam croaked dryly, looking almost horrified.

"You heard me." And then, more quietly, "...She wants to see you, Jensen." 

" _Wait_ -"

Pritchard cut him off, starting out of the room before he could protest more. "Just _don't_ screw it up."

Adam sat there in stunned silence for a while, jaw working as if he wanted to say something, before lying back down and staring up at the ceiling. "...Damn it."


	7. crossroads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SSSO SORRY BUSY THINGS HAPPENED AAA  
> also summer class _but now that that's over with_ I can attempt to fix what I broke the hell apart (ಥ⌣ಥ)  
>  also good guy Pritchard, yaaaay!

Malik wasn't entirely sure how to feel. She hadn't meant to break down in Pritchard's office, that was for sure, but after weeks of returning to an empty apartment, it'd probably been getting to her. She hadn't talked to anyone about it - as far as anyone else knew, everything was fine. Everything was good. But she was glad Pritchard was aware of it now. He might've been snippy and sarcastic, and he and Adam were almost always at each other's throats, but funnily enough she probably considered him to be one of her closest friends at Sarif Industries.

"Listen," He'd said from the driver's seat, parking his car at the hospital, "I've never been good with relationships, but...this'll work out. I'm sure of it, Malik."

"Can I get that in writing, in case it doesn't?" She said with a small laugh.

Pritchard scoffed, glancing towards her. "Very funny. Now go, I'll wait here for you."

"Alright." She opened the door, looking back at him for a moment. "Thanks, Pritchard."

"Don't mention it." He said, leaning back and raising an expectant eyebrow at her.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!"

Malik hopped out of the car, closing the door behind her and walking into the courtyard that the hospital buildings circled around. It was late in the afternoon - not many people were around, aside from a few doctors and patients. She was about to head into the hospital when she spotted a familiar head poking out from a bench seat, beneath the shade of an elm tree.

She snuck over, hugging Adam from behind and giving a short laugh when he started, at first not realizing who it was.

"Hey, stranger. Didn't expect you to be out here."

"I figured I needed some fresh air." He said, not moving from where he sat.

Malik rounded the bench, sitting next to him. He wasn't in a wheelchair, at the very least, and a pair of crutches leaned next to where he sat - it heartened her to know he was still trying his best to get up and running. He seemed awkward, staring at his hands in his lap, his jaw tightening, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how.

"I'm sorry." She said, breaking the silence.

"No, I should be." He said, looking up at her. "I'm the one that told you to leave."

"...What made you change your mind?" She couldn't stop the words, as much as she knew how much they would hurt him. She needed to know.

"I..." His hands balled into fists, so hard that he was shaking, and Malik was sure his knuckles would've been white if they were still flesh and blood. "I thought I would hurt you. Or the kids. I thought I could fix myself, because before, I broke things just by holding them, and picturing that happening to you or to them...I couldn't. I couldn't let that happen."

"But I'm still here." She said quietly.

"I should've just told you." He couldn't meet her eyes, staring at his hands again.

"But I'm still here," She repeated, standing and moving in front of him, "I told you that you didn't have to do this alone, and I'm not about to go back on that."

Adam was silent, and after a moment he took her hand, using his other arm to brace himself against the bench and stand up. She saw him wince as he straightened up, swaying dangerously and clutching her hand as his only support.

"Adam-" She managed, before he pulled her into a clumsy hug.

"Thank you." He murmured, pressing his face against her shoulder.

Malik smiled, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him back. "Oh yeah, I have a surprise for you. They're boys."

Adam pulled away, looking confused. "What?"

"I said, I'm gonna have three more Spy Boys on my hands, Spy Boy."

Malik couldn't help but let out the laugh she'd been holding back as she saw shock register on his face for a moment, then happy disbelief.

"... _Really?_ "

"Yeah. Really."

"You nervous?"

Malik winced jokingly. "A little? I've never given birth before, I have no idea what to expect."

Adam gave a small laugh, hugging her close again. "It'll be fine. Don't worry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and yes, this was meant to parallel chapter 2 (sort of)  
>  _there are two final chapters I plan to write, and I am hella finishing this fic for sure_  
>  hopefully I'll get them done by the time class starts again, but if not it'll just be a little longer


End file.
